Reform UK has been branded a 'retirement home for disgraced former Conservative ministers' as the party continues to attract a growing list of high-profile Tory defectors. The latest to cross the floor is former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, bringing the total number of significant Conservative switches to nineteen.
High-Profile Defections and Their Controversies
The defection of Nadhim Zahawi on 12 January 2026 is particularly notable given his past criticism of Nigel Farage. Zahawi, who was sacked as Tory chairman by Rishi Sunak over a serious breach of the ministerial code related to his tax affairs, becomes the latest in a long line of former ministers to join Reform. He later paid a penalty of nearly £5 million to HMRC.
This follows the earlier, landmark defection of Lee Anderson in March 2024, who became Reform's first MP after losing the Tory whip. Anderson, the former Conservative deputy chairman, has been embroiled in multiple controversies, including comments about London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Other prominent figures include former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, who defected in September 2025, and Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who joined in November 2024 and was later elected as Reform's Mayor of Lincolnshire. Dame Andrea made headlines at the party conference by singing in a sequinned jumpsuit.
Sitting MPs and Devolved Parliamentarians Jump Ship
While many defectors are former MPs, the move by sitting MP Danny Kruger in September 2025 directly boosted Reform's numbers in the House of Commons. Kruger, the MP for East Wiltshire and son of Prue Leith, declared 'The Conservatives are over' upon his defection and will head a new unit preparing Reform for government.
The party has also made inroads into devolved parliaments. Laura Anne Jones became Reform's first member of the Welsh Senedd, despite past controversies including the use of a racist slur in a WhatsApp chat. In Scotland, Graham Simpson became Reform's first MSP when he defected from the Conservatives in August 2025.
A Growing Roster of Former Conservatives
The list of defectors is extensive and includes figures from across the Conservative spectrum. Key names include:
- Sir Jake Berry: Former Tory Party Chairman and ally of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, defected in July 2025.
- Sir David Jones: Former Cabinet minister who joined in July 2025, citing disillusionment.
- Jonathan Gullis: Former Tory deputy chairman, defected in December 2025 despite previous attacks on Reform's leadership.
- Anne Marie Morris: Former MP who was suspended for using the N-word, joined in summer 2025 to lead Reform's social care policy.
- Maria Caulfield: Former health minister who quit the Tories in September 2025, stating the party had become 'less and less what I believe in'.
Other defectors are Ross Thomson (June 2025), Lucy Allan (2024), Marco Longhi (January 2025), Sarah Atherton (August 2025), Adam Holloway (July 2025), Lia Nici (2025), and Chris Green (December 2025).
The collective movement has led to stinging criticism from political opponents. Liberal Democrat MP Manuela Perteghella, who now holds Zahawi's former Stratford-on-Avon seat, provided the 'retirement home' epithet, capturing the sentiment of many watching the exodus of often controversial figures from the Conservative Party to Nigel Farage's surging political force.
